Judge Advocates “Haircut For A Haircut” Punishment

Price, UT (WIBX) - A mom whose teenage daughter is being punished for essentially bullying a three-year old is now filing charges against the judge who sentenced her daughter.

Saying that he would modify the sentence by cutting 150 hours of community service from the punishment if the teen's mom agreed to cut off her daughter's 13-inch ponytail in the courtroom, Seventh District Juvenile Judge Scott Jahansen proposed the "haircut for a haircut" punishment that is drawing both praise and ire.

Valerie Bruno's 13-year old daughter Kaytlen Lopan and an 11-year friend walked into a McDonald's in Utah and, after talking to the 3-year old, decided to cut off several inches of hair from the toddler's head.  Not having scissors handy, they asked McDonald's employees who turned them down.  Undeterred, Lopan and her friend bought a pair across the street and returned to cut the little girl's hair.

Mom says that she feels "intimidated" by Johansen and said that she does not think that "an eye for an eye" is the correct way to teach children right from wrong.

This is not the first time that Lopan has been in trouble with police.  In addition to the assault charges that she is facing for the haircut she has also allegedly made harassing telephone calls  to another teen over the course of eight months.

Geoff Liesik's original story appears in the Deseret News.